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(10/27/05 12:00am)
Following a unanimous vote on Sept. 30 by the Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS) Board of Trustees in favor of affiliation with Middlebury College, the Middlebury College Board of Trustees voted unanimously in favor of the affiliation during its October meeting on campus. "In approving the agreement, Middlebury's Trustees gave Board chair Frederick M. Fritz '68 and me the authority to iron out any remaining issues in advance of an anticipated formal signing of the agreement, in Monterey, on Dec. 2," said Ronald D. Liebowitz, president of the College.
According to Fritz, there were essentially four parts to the presentation made at the board meeting preceding the vote. First, the Board received an operational update from College Professor Clara Yu, former vice-president for languages at Middlebury, now President-designate of MIIS. Yu now spends most of her time in residence in Monterey, Calif., where she will take over the role of President and assume strategic and operational responsibilities for MIIS on Jan. 1, 2006. Second, the Board heard a legal update on the affiliation agreement and related documents, including MIIS by-laws. The trustees also received a briefing of their June 23 meeting, during which the Board approved a letter of intent to make Monterey an affiliate of Middlebury. Finally, a revised budget was presented to the Board which took into account higher enrollment numbers at the Institute.
Fritz expects that any outstanding issues will be worked out between Middlebury and MIIS. "We feel more and more confident about the prospects in all respects for this affiliation, and while there may be some bumps in the future which we should be prepared for, the process so far has been extremely positive," said Fritz.
Following the formal signing of the agreement, MIIS will have a new five-member board of trustees, all of whom will be appointed by Middlebury. The Institute's board will retain general oversight of MIIS but Middlebury approval will be required for the appointment or removal of the president, adoption of budgets, sale or acquisition of assets and commencement or termination of academic programs. Middlebury anticipates making financial resources available to the institute in the form of gifts and, if needed, secured loans over the next four years.
The College began conversations about a potential partnership with Monterey last November. On March 15, the Program Coordination Group investigating the acquisition gave a presentation and answered the questions of Middlebury students, faculty and staff, and on April 1 the Faculty Council voted 80-21 in opposition of the potential acquisition. On April 16, the Student Government Association passed a recommendation expressing concern over the potential acquisition, citing fears that the acquisition would divert funds away from College resources. On June 24, however, the Trustees of Middlebury and MIIS approved a letter of intent to make Monterey an affiliate, rather than an outright acquisition, of Middlebury.
Said Yu of the affiliation, "Middlebury and Monterey are two premier institutions that take seriously deep cultural understanding and linguistic proficiency as the foundation for international studies, policy making and public service. I look forward to working with the faculty, staff, and alumni of the Monterey Institute and with the Monterey community to further our common mission."
Written by ZACH HECHT-LEAVITT
(10/27/05 12:00am)
Author: Derek Schlickeisen Middlebury College President Ronald D. Liebowitz and Board of Trustees Chairman Frederick M. Fritz '68 will attend a Nov. 10 meeting of the College's alumni chapter in London. On the agenda will be discussions of Middlebury's growing international network of alumni and its ability to recruit and assist new international students.According to Mike Schoenfeld, vice president for College Advancement, the goal of the London meeting will be to foster greater involvement on the part of international alumni. In addition to Liebowitz and Fritz, attendees at the conference will include British, Swedish and Belgian nationals, as well as Americans living and working abroad."If you look at where we were in 1990 and where we are now, Middlebury's presence internationally is much stronger," said Schoenfeld. "We didn't really have that many international alumni until the 1980s, but now that these people have attained significant positions in business and government, they might be willing to consider providing internships and scholarships for Middlebury students."Although Middlebury adds more than 600 students each year to its pool of alumni, fewer than two percent hold foreign citizenship. Nevertheless, Middlebury's 77 international first-year students - many of them coming from the United World College (UWC) program - symbolize the extent to which the foreign presence on campus has grown in the last 15 years.As a result of this growing body of international students, the College has seen a strengthening of its presence overseas. "What used to be primarily a national network of alumni is becoming an international network," said Schoenfeld. "Before, we might have had an alumni meeting in Hong Kong, but it would be comprised entirely of Americans working in Hong Kong. Now that same meeting would be comprised more of graduates with foreign citizenships who had returned to their home countries."While the London alumni chapter remains the College's only official international body of alumni, Schoenfeld said the administration is confident that this is only the beginning. "We know that the sheer number of graduates - both internationals and Americans who choose to live abroad - will continue to expand this network."Schoenfeld stressed that the recruitment and provision of scholarships for international students, as well as internship opportunities abroad for American students, will be the primary benefits the College will reap from its growing international connections. "We have seen what a strong alumni network can do in the United States, and we're excited about the possibilities of what a stronger international network could do for the College," he said. "We are already starting to arrange international internships and money for international students, and these are likely to continue to be the primary benefits."The Davis United World College (UWC) Scholars program represents one of the financial advantages to a stronger international presence. Earlier this year, philanthropist and Middlebury parent Shelby Davis donated $20 million to establish Middlebury as the headquarters for the program and match every dollar of demonstrated need on the part of 80 UWC students then attending Middlebury. Said President Emeritus John McCardell, "The establishment of the Davis UWC Scholars program is the most important support for international student financial aid that Middlebury College has ever received."
(10/27/05 12:00am)
Author: Brooke Farquhar After falling to Williams 39-18 on Homecoming weekend, the Panthers rebounded boldly on Saturday defeating Bates 41-7 for the first win of the season. Scott Secor '07 had an outstanding game with two interceptions, five tackles and a sack, earning him the NESCAC Defensive Player of the Week.The Panthers' domination was felt early on by Bates, when Tiger Lyon '07 hit Ryan Armstrong '06 with a 21-yard touchdown pass on the opening drive of the game. Bates answered with its only touchdown of the game, a 15-yard pass, late in the first quarter. After driving 66 yards, Middlebury's offense scored again when Hrdina '07 scored an 18-yard touchdown. Hrdina had 100 yards on 25 carries. For the second time in the first half, Lyon hit Armstrong for a 27-yard touchdown. Secor intercepted a pass and ran 49 yards for the touchdown. Lyon then rushed two yards to score late in the third quarter making the game score 34-7 at the start of the final quarter. In the first play of the fourth quarter, Lyon hit Holm '09 for a two-yard touchdown, putting one more on the board. Lyon completed 13 of 17 for 185 yards. Armstrong had five receptions for 77 yards and two touchdowns and Dom DiDomenico '06 had 50 yards. Erik Woodring '08 and Coeman Hutzler '06 led the team in tackles. The Panthers win came on the heels of a 39-18 loss to Williams the previous weekend. Neiman Groce '07 blocked an extra point and Alex Buggy '07 recovered a fumble early on in the game. Then Middlebury's offense got on the board when Steve Hauschka '07 hit a 38-yard field goal. After Buggy's fumble recovery, Lyon connected with Derek Polsinello '08 for an 11-yard touchdown. After a half-hour lightning delay, the offense drove 80 yards, when DiDomenico scored with a four-yard rush up the middle. Armstrong caught three passes for 38 yards and Lyon was 13 of 29 for 132 yards. Steve Shortle '09, a Vermont native, went five for nine with 26 yards in his college debut. Hutzler had 10 tackles and recovered a fumble. Commenting on the Williams loss, Armstrong said, "The main thing was to stay positive. A lot of times after a losing streak, teams can start to fall apart and you can lose focus on the rest of your season. Fortunately, our team is very cohesive, and we didn't let our record affect our mindset for the rest of the season. We knew a win over Bates would get the ball rolling for a good start on the second half of the season."This weekend the Panthers host Trinity, currently undefeated at 5-0. The Bantams are a perennial powerhouse who have been up to their usual antics this fall and there is little doubt that they will be at the top of their game. The Panthers are not as intimidated coming off their first win, as Paul Thibodeau '08 said, "The win will carry over a lot of the confidence and momentum that are necessary to beat a 5-0 team". On the upcoming Trinity game Armstrong commented, "building up our confidence and hard work will put us in a position to win against Trinity. It's no secret that Trinity is a very strong team, but the great thing about our league is that any team can beat any other team on any given day. If we prepare ourselves well enough mentally and physically, we'll go into the game with a great chance to upset them."Although it is a longshot, Middlebury will prepare this week with all the confidence and focus of a successful program. This season has provided some challenges and several games in which one play could have changed the entire flow of the game. The win over Bates, which broke Middlebury's four-game losing streak, will hopefully give the Panthers what they need to break Trinity's winning streak. The team is finding its "edge."
(10/27/05 12:00am)
Author: Jeff Paterson Wellesley, the home team, had a 75 on the scoreboard and everyone waited anxiously for last scores to come in. This weekend was filled with waiting - Saturday's round had been rained out - so the team hung out at teammate Julie Ellenberger's house until play resumed on Sunday. "Coach was really nervous as we were waiting for the scores to come in. He was pacing all around," Tory MacNeil '08 said of George Phinney, the assistant women's golf coach. Sophomore Karen Levin, the team's last golfer to sign her card, totaled an 84, while Wellesley's number five golfer shot a 90. Because of this disparity, the Lady Linksters won the tournament by two shots. The team victory was "important" because it bumped the Panthers up in the Division III women's golf rankings to the 6th spot nationally. Wellesley fell to 11th overall. Two shots, five spots. Earlier in the year, Wellesley had won the Mt. Holyoke Invitational and Midd finished fifth, 16 shots out of the lead, but in the final tournament of the year it was a different story.If the Panthers keep up this level of play in the spring, an NCAA tournament bid would not come as a surprise for anyone. Captain Heather Gallagher '07 will be returning from the University of St. Andrews, where she has been honing her game. You can take the Wellesley Golf Invitational as evidence that the team is balanced enough to carry the load. Levin's 12-over par round was one of three 84s shot by underclasswomen. The mens team's totals of 320 and 319 highlighted the high winds that swirled around Cape Cod last week when Beaney's Babies participated in the 71st Annual New England Intercollegiate Golf Association Championship. Chad Bellmare '07, was focusing diligently so he would not succumb to the hocus-pocusing wind. He kept the ball in the fairway with knock-down shots and finished with a 75-77 score that was good enough for 17th place. Chad was chasing Husson's Ross McGee for the D-III medalist trophy, but McGee shot a sizzling back nine 34 and Bellmare double-bogeyed his last hole when he "airmailed an approach shot that he set-up perfectly." Regardless, Bellmare's autumn was awesome. In 11 events he averaged a 76.3 and amassed three top 10 finishes, one of which was a tie for second at the Skidmore Fall Classic. Harry Bane's and Geordy Baumann's stroke averages were also sub-80 at 77.6 and 78.2.Forty-five teams from Division I, II and III schools participated in the tournament and the University of Rhode Island rode scores of 295 and 297 to an easy 10-shot win. Middlebury finished fifth out of the D-III schools. The spring season will be more than five months ahead, as the snow starts to fall, the golfers will have Carolina on their minds, as they dream of their annual trip to Pinehurst.
(10/27/05 12:00am)
Author: Caroline Vial On Oct. 13, Dr. Carla Fehr's lecture "Are Smart Men Smarter Than Smart Women?" created a twist in the heated debate set by the chilling remarks of Harvard University President Lawrence H. Summers on the inherent differences between men and women in the sciences, at an academic conference in Jan. 2005. As the well-attended lecture was fittingly co-sponsored by the departments of Philosophy and Women's and Gender Studies, Fehr rebutted the hypotheses that fewer women are likely to succeed in science and math careers - and whose critics are to be labeled "activists" - through a philosophical approach: the Epistemology of Ignorance. "Our culture's ignorance about women's intellectual abilities persists in the minds of even the most educated people, in the face of vast bodies of evidence," said Fehr about her non-scientific approach to the problem. By comparing societal conceptions of gender roles to the theories of Charles Mills' "The Racial Contract," Fehr established that there are three types of ignorance. There are gaps in our knowledge about the world such as topics that we believe we know, but in fact do not really know, who we count as a good listener and most significantly, the systems that create gaps and disqualify knowers. Fehr stressed the use of academics as a tool to avoid engaging in a discussion of knowledge. "Lawrence Summers' remarks regarding men's and women's scientific abilities are examples of the Epistemology of Ignorance in action," Fehr said. In a synthesis of scholarship on why there is such a small number of woman in high-level positions in science and engineering, Summers gave three related explanations last January. In declining order of importance, the first was the inability or reluctance of women who have children to work 80-hour weeks. The second point was that fewer women than men have top scores on math and science aptitude tests in high school. His third point was about discrimination. If the main factor limiting the advancement of women in science was discrimination, then an institution that does not discriminate would benefit from hiring the top women who were discriminated against elsewhere. Fehr argued that the preconceptions behind Summers' claims exemplify her Epistemology of Ignorance theory, by which individuals encourage a generalized cultural perception of women's scientific abilities and therefore hurt the practice of science itself.There are many preconceptions, according to Fehr, that led scholars to decide that the critics of Summers were wrong. The organizer of last January's conference, Harvard economist Richard B. Freeman, described Summers' critics as "activists" whose "sensibilities might be at odds with intellectual debate." These remarks, from which Fehr ironically inferred that "knowledge makes you stupid," also demonstrates the deeply-rooted social norms that are attributed to men and women.These misconceptions are reasons for dismissing Summers' critics, according to Fehr, by using generalizing labels and encouraging a societal ignorance of women's scientific potential. Scholars have also misunderstood the reasoning of Summers' critics, by categorizing them as denying biological differences, as considering cross-gender biological research politically-incorrect, or using a "liberal agenda" to limit free speech and academic freedom. "Men and women who genuinely do not consider themselves sexist," Fehr added, "consistently under-recognize the abilities of women." To illustrate this claim, she instructed the audience to close their eyes and to imagine a math wiz. After most of the participants probably envisioned a male math wiz, Fehr convincingly demonstrated that "powerful gender schemas block our view of women's math abilities."In a curve that traced the variations of competency among men and women on math SAT exams, Fehr pointed out that there are more men than women at the extreme tails of the distribution. In other words, men tend to be smarter, yet also stupider than women. Only the results at the upper end of that curve, however, served to back the research put forward by Summers. Fehr argued that not only do test scores still need to be correlated with career success in science - it was proven that female engineers are also more likely to score higher than male engineers - but that social variables can explain differences in test results as well as employment patterns. While unveiling the "bodies of evidence" that are often overlooked by scholars in the field, Fehr strove to prove once more that all individuals attach gender without any conscious realization. "When most people think of being sexist or racist," Julina Rundberg '06 said, "they think of specific acts that they would have to commit in order to classify themselves as sexist or racist. What we often fail to realize is just how pervasive oppressive systems are." Rundberg added that "pulling the biology card is another way of buttressing this system of ignorance." Fehr stressed the necessity of accepting women in the scientific realm. "This ignorance also hurts the practice of science itself," said Fehr, who asserted the need to maximize "epistemic diversity," or the ability to represent as many theoretical perspectives as possible in different fields of investigation. Without such a diversity of understanding, "prudent women may censor themselves" in their jobs as scientists and engineers, which would lead to a chilling effect in the scientific community.Visiting Associate Professor of Economics Ann Marie May, commented, "It is also important to have women of color and students of color in the classroom and developing the research, to foment an active production of knowledge [...] The notion of knowledge can certainly change depending on who does the research."
(10/13/05 12:00am)
Author: Mallory Falk On the afternoon of Monday, Oct. 10, Middlebury College faculty members met at Kirk Alumni Conference Center for the first of three open meetings scheduled this month to discuss the future of the American Literature and Civilization Department, which may merge with the English Department in 2010 under a proposal by the Educational Affairs Committee (EAC). Under the EAC motion put forward in 2003, the American Literature and Civilization Department - currently comprised of two different fields, American Literature and American Civilization - would be divided, creating a separate department of American Studies and a combined English and American Literature major. Professor of Humanities John McWilliams and Fulton Professor of American Literature Stephen Donadio took the podium to argue for the preservation of their department.The meeting brought a close to a two-year-long process of departmental review, beginning with a brief history of the American Literature and Civilization department and the proposal to dismantle it. Established in 1928, noted McWilliams and Donadio, the department was the first of its kind: a forum for students to study American literature in depth, apart from British and Anglophone works. A civilization major was later added in 1981, giving the Department its present structure. Presently, Middlebury is the only American institution to offer a major in American Literature.A majority of the College's literature professors are in favor of eliminating the departmental divide and merging the two disciplines into one unified literature major. This restructuring of the current curriculum is supported not only by most English and American Literature faculty members, but also by the EAC. On Monday, several EAC representatives spoke on behalf of the proposal. Citing the benefits of a departmental union and stressing the result of faculty votes, EAC members encouraged the faculty at hand to support the proposed change. Members of the departments in question made the case for integration as well. Stewart Professor of English and Environmental Studies John Elder called the merge "natural and standard." Other speakers suggested that a joint English and American Literature major would provide students with a sounder understanding of literary works. The EAC proposal in support states: "Students will receive a more comprehensive and internationalist view of the history of Literature in English."McWilliams and Donadio, however, argued that placing American Literature within the English department would prove destructive and infective. "Why abandon a department and a major that are unique to Middlebury and that have served the College with evident distinction for 80 years?" wrote the two faculty members in their substitute motion to maintain the department and major of American Literature. "I assure you, [if the departments merge], the number of [American texts in the curriculum]...will be reduced," McWilliams said. A student could graduate without "hearing a word" of Emerson, Dickenson or Faulkner.The remaining meetings will take place next Monday, Oct. 17 in John McCardell Bicentennial Hall and Tuesday, Oct. 25 in Mitchell Green Lounge. A decisive faculty vote on the EAC proposal will take place in November.
(10/13/05 12:00am)
Author: Eri Nosaka On Sunday afternoon, the men's rugby team played against the only other undefeated team within the conference and, even with terrible weather conditions, managed to come out on top with a score of 12-0 against St. Mike's. The Panthers had a rocky start and were unable to successfully maneuver the ball due to the rain and cold. In the past, this team has managed to jump to an enormous lead against its opponents, but St. Mike's was able to hold them at 7-0 at halftime. But towards the end of the latter part of the first half and throughout the second half, the team was able to gain better possession of the ball and were able to score again. "The weather definitely had a huge impact on us," said Matt Volz '07. "We are a fast team and we like to be able to swing the ball wide and run with it. We had trouble doing that on Saturday because of the rain, but St. Mike's also played solid defense. They tackled well and played us hard for 80 minutes," said Volz. "It was cold and wet for both teams so we have to give St. Mike's credit for holding us to 12 points," he said.Different from other rugby games this season, there were no dominant players on Sunday. However Caleb Constenstein '06 and Chaz Wirene '07 made impressive contributions. Wirene played throughout the first half but was unfortunately forced out of the game due to a sustained injury. "All in all, it was not our best game, but we came out of it with a win and better perspective on where we are as a team and where we need to be," said Volz.As the team retains its No. 1 ranking in the conference, the team will have yet another chance to prove its greatness when it plays Babson College this coming Saturday at home. Similar to the men, due to the weather the women's team experienced some unexpected obstacles. Although the women's team lost with a score of 29-0 against Norwich, compared to the last game against Keene State, the women's team has made long strides of improvement. At the beginning of the game, the women's team did not know what to expect and the Panthers quickly encountered Norwich's aggression and force. However, the Panthers were able to match that and were even more fierce. Notably the rookies were able to overcome their initial apprehension and played throughout the game with intensity and dedication. Strong players for this game included Cristina Orlando '09, Cheryl McClurg '08 and Amelia Magistrali '09. Although the first half was a little slow, by the second half the women were able to find their rhythm. Towards the end of the game, there was strong scrumming and the back lines showed visible improvement and were able to take a stand against Norwich's attack."We need to work on our defense and get used to the game a little more. However, overall we're getting better which is good to see. The team is working well together and everyone gets along, which you can really see. As a result things are flowing really well. With this game especially you can definitely see our improvement, " said Camille Padilla '07.This Saturday the women's team will play Plymouth State at Middlebury. Plymouth will prove to be their toughest opponent due to their depth and strength as a team.
(10/13/05 12:00am)
Author: Jason Siegel UConn group aims for equality Last Saturday, Connecticut became the fourth state to recognize civil unions. However, one UConn group has pledged to keep fighting until full marriage equality is achieved. Queers United Against Discrimination (QUAD) has worked over the past year toward the legalization of same sex marriage in Connecticut, alongside Love Makes a Family (LMF).Members of QUAD have expressed a mostly positive outlook toward the civil unions, saying that they are nearly equal to marriages, but still insufficient. Among the problems they cite are the inability to file a federal tax form as a married couple -though this question is beyond the control of the state - and more importantly, visiting rights in hospitals. If a domestic partner is suddenly injured, his or her partner has no rights to see them in the hospital, though an estranged parent does.QUAD and LMF will continue to work for equality for the gay and lesbian communities. The civil unions happen to coincide with National Coming Out Week, occurring this week.-U-Wire Six stabbed in UMass rumble Early Sunday morning, a large fight broke out in an area known as "Frat Row," resulting in the stabbing of six UMass-Amherst students. Police responded to a call at 12:33 a.m. to find two students had been stabbed in the brawl. One student had been stabbed in the head, and another in the bicep. Both are now in stable condition.Nearly an hour later, police received a call to return to the scene once again, only to encounter a student who had been stabbed several times in the back and another young man who had been knifed in the side. Another student involved was taken to the University's health center for treatment of a forearm wound.Later on that evening, a student reported to the emergency room with a stabbed hand. Investigators believe he too was involved in the ruckus.There is currently no information on the reason the fights broke out.-U-Wire Federal funds for Hispanics lacking According to a new UC-Berkeley study, Hispanics are the ethnic group receiving the least federal financial aid.The report shows that 80 percent of Hispanic students apply for federal aid, while only 63 percent actually receive it. This number is up from last year, and excludes all private sources of financial aid.The discrepancy may be due to several factors. One possibility is that the percentage of Hispanic students who are U.S. citizens is approximately eight percent less than the overall student population, which stands at 93 percent. Another potential factor is that they are twice as likely to be resident aliens than any other ethnic group, and are therefore ineligible for federal aid.Hispanic students tend to come from lower income families, which alone would indicate a greater financial need. However, the study also shows that they tend to attend lower cost universities as well. In fact, 41 percent of Hispanic students pay $1,000 or less for tuition and fees, compared with 30 percent of all students nationwide.-U-Wire
(09/29/05 12:00am)
Author: BEN GOLZE I first heard of "Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!" this summer when my editor leaned over from his desk and handed the CD to me in one of those "Hey, you'll dig this" type moments that tend to dominate how I find out about new music. The Brooklyn quintet self-released their self-titled debut album in early June, but, as tends to happens with self-releases, their success was confined largely to the Internet. The accumulation of critical acclaim over the course of the summer, however, has prompted massive re-shipments during this past month, which fortunately makes this column appear more relevant than it probably is.In any case, when I popped the CD into my computer in early August and listened to the first track, I experienced, as you probably will, a "What is this?" kind of moment. Simple synths and plinking percussion back the warbling vocals of Alec Ounsworth. The whole thing, aptly titled "Clap Your Hands!," sounds like the introduction to some maniacal circus act. It is only on the second listen of the album that you will say "This is the coolest intro to the coolest album from the coolest band that I have heard in a long, long time."Ounsworth's voice is the most immediately unique thing about "Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!" His vocals most closely approximate those of Hamilton Leithauser, the frontman for the Walkmen, if you could say they sound like anything that you have heard before. Ounsworth swings and glides throughout the album, a sound most prominent on "Over and Over Again (Lost and Found)."His standout moment, though, occurs on the album's best song, "The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth." Ounsworth's voice, laid over a stomping bass line and drums, ratchets up the song's tension during each verse until the song releases the guitars in a brief jam that sounds straight out of a Modest Mouse song. Swirling synths segue directly into the next song "Is This Love?," which features some of the best songwriting on the album. The rest of the band provides back-up for Ounsworth during the whirlwind choruses, when their harmonizing vocals churn and whorl over a rolling bass drum.Many critics have attempted, or perhaps struggled, to identify influences on "Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!" Quite a few have pointed out 80's alt-rock groups such as the Talking Heads, and I might be able to buy that they sound like The Cure at the end of "Let the Cool Goddess Rust Away." However, only specific parts of specific songs can be easily distinguished, such as the spacious, echoing vocals on "Details of the War" (Belle and Sebastian), and the crunching, fizzy guitars on "Heavy Metal" (Neutral Milk Hotel, sort of). An extremely cheery version of the Arcade Fire is probably as close as you are going to get.But ignore that, because such comparisons are unfair to the band's unique sound, which is remarkably consistent for an independent debut album. Besides the intro, "Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!" drastically branches out on two instrumentals, "Blue Turning Gray," a brief interlude consisting of two sleepy acoustic guitars with a hidden flute, and the playful "Sunshine and Clouds (And Everything Proud)."I could end this review by saying something stupid, such as "While this album may not make you actually clap your hands, you will say 'yeah!.'" I could also write how great it is that a fantastic band armed with a self-released album and no promotion managed to break into the independent music scene in such a big way. But I won't. Instead, I'll just say this: listen to "Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!" You won't be sorry.
(09/29/05 12:00am)
Author: Polly Johnson and Alyson Bourne Think about the e-reserve you printed last night, and then think about the last time you ever actually read an e-res. Now think about the last time you witnessed a first-year student printing out his or her entire semester's worth of e-reserve material, and you abandoning your own print job, which would lie in the printer and finally see its demise in the recycle bin. While this may seem like a small matter, multiply these situations by 2,300 students and then think about how much paper is printed in just one day. We did some investigative research into the printing patterns at the New Library, interviewing professors, the Library and Information Services (LIS) staff and even librarians at other competing colleges, and discovered some very interesting information.First, we came to the fairly obvious conclusion that there is excess printing taking place at Middlebury. Associate Dean of LIS David Donahue spoke to us about the printing patterns of the library. "We certainly have seen an increase in the amount of waste," he said. "Often times students will send a print job to the printer and go check to see if it is printing. Depending on what else is queued up ahead of that job, it may not be printing. When the student sees that it isn't printing, they send the job again or send it to a different printer. There are literally hundreds of wasted pages that are never picked up."Associate Professor of Geology Peter Ryan said, "Back in the 80's and early 90's a lot of people thought that computers would cut down on paper use - e-mail instead of paper memos, etc. In reality, we now know that computers cause us to waste paper. It is very easy to just click 'print.'" We did some research into printing patterns at competing liberal arts colleges to see how we compared, and realized just how lucky we are. At Amherst College, Head of Access Services Alexa Jaffurs told us that they "charge five cents a page for students and it gets billed to their student accounts; it's ten cents a page for the public. We don't lose money because the fees that go to paper and supplies are subsidized by the cost of printing. However, we don't make money off of what we charge." At Trinity College, as stated on their Web site, each student receives 125 free prints per semester. After hitting that limit, they are charged nine cents per print, with a discount given for printing double-sided.With many of our competing colleges charging students for printing, is it only a matter of time before Middlebury begins to charge us? Stafford Professor of Public Policy, Political Science & Environmental Studies Chris Klyza said, "I think many of us agree that there is what we would consider excess printing on campus, and that the best way to address that is to somehow put a cost on printing."The issue has been brought up on numerous occasions, even in Community Council. Donahue noted that last year the Council "took up the issue of printing on campus. This was the second time that Community Council had considered the issue. They made a recommendation to LIS to implement a print quota, a limit on pages per student per year, and to charge for pages over the limit. The quota set by Community Council was generous compared to other schools. At this point, LIS is working with that recommendation and developing a plan for how and when to implement such a system."Until that point, Midd students will continue to have the luxury of printing however much they want whenever they want. In response to whether or not there has been a noticeable increase in the amount of paper being used this year, he said "the short answer is yes, there has been an increase in printing campus-wide and thus in paper consumption as well." Considering Middlebury's dedication to environmental awareness, maybe it is time to consider how we're affecting our surroundings when we print the same assignment to four different printers solely for the sake of getting out of the library as quickly as possible. As Ryan said, "High gas costs cut down on driving, and I am sure that printing fees would cause people to think twice about printing materials that they may never use."
(09/29/05 12:00am)
Author: Katie Glass "So you must be going away to college," said the man behind the check-in counter at the airport, as he suspiciously eyed my five massive suitcases. I was quite proud of myself for condensing everything I owned into these suitcases the night before. "It's very cold in Vermont; I need a lot of sweaters and winter jackets," I added, feeling he deserved an explanation for the size of my luggage.However, when I finally arrived at my tiny double room here at Middlebury, I realized that if my roommate was to also live in this room, I had brought way too much. Secretly I prayed she a) would not show up, or b) would bring absolutely nothing with her. Neither proved true, and I was forced to shove my beloved belongings under my bed or into plastic boxes.My next obstacle was surviving orientation. The pressure was on and it was intense: Whom should I sit with? Why was everyone staring at me? Why did everyone have so many friends already, and more importantly, why didn't I have any? How was I possibly going to get to know all these people? I clung to my unsuspecting roommate for dear life, figuring that would at least look cooler than hanging out with my father. I soon found that in being herded around to different events we were being distracted from the fact that we were experiencing one of the "biggest transitions of our lives". Only when my parents finally left did this realization sink in. The square dance on Thursday and the all night "Back to the 80's" dance party Saturday introduced us to the first of many sleepless nights that would become a fact of life here at Middlebury. Some students even got their "first chance" at the appropriately named "First Chance Dance Party"-for a select few this was the first chance for true love - for many others it was a first chance to get acquainted with the Parton Health Center. During orientation, friendships were made, memories were created, fun was had, and the class of 2009 was introduced to life at Middlebury. There was no turning back - after Convocation on Sunday we became official college students. This brings us to the next, and slightly less enjoyable part of the college welcoming process: classes. It was inevitable - we knew they were going to start sooner or later. We went to registration and spent hundreds of dollars on textbooks, but somehow I had never thought about actually working in college. Not having done any serious schoolwork since my acceptance letter arrived several months ago, I found my first day of class extremely difficult, even surreal. In my first class my professor assigned 150 pages of reading due the next day. Surely he was kidding, I convinced myself. In my next class I was assigned an essay to be completed for the following class. Were all the professors here crazy? My next class included 12 grammar exercises as well as an entire book to read. I was sure this was all a conspiracy. How had I gotten tricked into actually paying for this cruel and unusual punishment? In talking with older and much wiser upperclassmen, I was told that it would get better as we learned how to manage our workload more efficiently, and that the shock would eventually wear off. Until then, I ran aimlessly around campus trying to get everything done while still having a life outside the library. Although, I hear the library is where all the hot parties are happening these days with the new Vermont liquor law...
(09/22/05 12:00am)
Author: Jeff Patterson At one point on Friday night, Weather.com's hour-by hour forecast predicted a 90 percent chance of rain for every hour of Saturday and Sunday. When the weekend came, putts dropped instead of rain, and the fairly high (for mid-September in Vermont) temperatures came pretty close to matching the fairly low golf scores. The pace of play was reasonable, a rare occurrence in tournament golf, and the Middlebury men's golf team totaled their lowest score in the three years that senior captain Mitch St. Peter has teed it up for the Panthers, as they finished fifth. The golfing success of the Williams Ephs, who won the 22nd annual Duke Nelson Invitational golf tournament, was anything but ephemeral. Williams, which represented the NESCAC in last year's men's golf NCAA championship mastered the Ralph Myhre golf course. Of the 24 teams that competed, in this 24-hour (over two-day) event, Skidmore, NYU and Salem State finished second, third and fourth respectively.Indeed, the ephor Eph, Matt Slovitt, was the weekend's best player and at the conclusion of the tournament was presented the heavy, medalist, wood-engraved plaque for turning-in a two-day total of 143 (+ 1).Beaney's Babies, led by Bellmare 07', Baumann '08, and Bane '08 (Chad, Geordy and Harry) did not disappoint. Bellmare finished tied for sixth with a career best, six-over, 148. Chad moved up the leaderboard by birdying two of his last three holes. On the par-4 third, his final hole, in the shotgun style format, Bellmare looked anything but panicked before he finessed a 15-footer into the center of the cup. Afterwards Bellmare gave a fistpump to his teammate and friend, Bane, who had finished his round and was looking on. Senior Derek Singer's final round 75, was Paul Azinger-like and combined with Baumann's Sunday 75, the scores were Barry Sea-Tow-like as they pulled the Panthers to within nine shots of the eventual winning score. With Mitch St. Peter's two rounds of 78 all five of the Panther players had broken 80 over both days. "Not many teams are capable of posting ten consecutive rounds in the seventies. [And we just did]," said Bane, who played as Middlebury's number one golfer, in what was his first collegiate tournament."Since Slovitt won at our place I'm going to have to win at their place," said Bellmare. Beaney's Babies make the trip to Taconic Golf Club for this weekend's Williams Invitational. Bellmare's last round in Williamstown was also a 74 and if his putter remains hot, he is more than capable of getting payback.Middlebury Blue team finished 21st overall as they beat St, Michael's, American International University and Franklin Pierce. The Blue team gained valuable tournament experience and almost gave Wesleyan and Amherst a fight.While the men were at home, enjoying local knowledge, the Lady Linksters were one state over participating in the Dartmouth Invitational. After the first day Middlebury was in 12th place out of 17 teams - most of whom are D-I, scholarship-giving schools, but by the end they were in 10th place, very close to the middle of the pack. The Ortega twins '07 (Kerry and Allison) fired a respectable 83 and 86 respectively on Saturday. On day two, Kerry's six over par 78, landed her in a tie for 27th while first-year Julie Ellenburger's Sunday 83 placed her tied for 52nd. Columbia University won the Invitational and Sienna finished in the runner-up position.
(09/22/05 12:00am)
Author: Andrea Glaessner Whether you were sipping your piña colada in Cancún reliving spring break, in New York City on your way to your hedge fund internship or sitting in a dorm room talking to yourself in Chinese last July, you can bet someone here in Middlebury had you on their mind. That is because weeks before you even began to think about books, binders, shelving and shipping, local storeowners were anticipating your arrival. Despite its quaint size and the absence of a Wal-Mart, the town of Middlebury has a solid economy that is relatively dependent on you, a Middlebury student, for growth and sustainability.For most local stores, September means a rush of sales to incoming students and their comfort-minded parents - which also means greatly increased profits. To prepare for the rush, many storeowners began stocking up as early as July. Glass Bead Game, Middlebury's own women's fashion boutique, started receiving shipments of designer jeans and sweaters during the summer, when it was too hot to even think of long pants. The boutique's owner, Sheila Simson, says her busiest month is August, when local high school and middle school girls pour in for back-to-school clothes. But come late September, Simson notices more college-age students perusing for "going-out tops" and designer jeans such as Seven and Citizens of Humanity, two of the highest-volume jean brands sold at Glass Bead Game. According to Simson, she does not see many college shoppers until mid-September because many Middlebury students come back to campus with a slew of new outfits. It takes a couple of weeks to get settled in - and retire that shirt worn to both of the McCullough dances - before students decide they need a new look - and a good study break. October and November are also peak months for the boutique, as more students realize high-quality and high-fashion clothes are just a brisk walk down College Street. Although September is the typical peak month for student shopping in Middlebury, other local storeowners noticed different trends. Middlebury Discount Beverage Company manager Amber Riley says their peak months are January and May. The reason for increased profits in those particular months is fairly self-explanatory. To most College students, January and May both involve an increase in "beverage" consumption.The UPS Store also brings in the most profits in May. In fact, the UPS Store was opened nine years ago with College students almost exclusively in mind. Stacey Bougor, the Middlebury location's store manager, says that College students account for 80 percent of sales. May brings the biggest rush as students charge in after finals to ship home everything that does not fit in storage or suitcases. The UPS Store also makes sure to stock up on packing supplies far in advance. "In May, we're out the door in boxes," said Bougor. "You'd be amazed." Although other stores do not necessarily depend on College students for survival, they certainly do not mind the September boost in sales. Diane Smith, the manager of Aubuchon Hardware on Court Street, typically stocks up on tape, cement blocks, adhesives, light bulbs, shelving and other dorm room essentials for the student rush in the first three weeks of September. But Smith says that their peak months are June and December, since in Vermont, June means the end of the mud season and local shoppers stock up for gardening. December is the time for home improvement for holiday visitors as well as gifts and decoration in general. "It's the local contractors and home owners that keep us going," said Smith. So the next time you hit up Ben Franklin for your Halloween costume or order "fingers and toes" at Mister Up's, remember the good you are doing to support the local economy that dresses you, houses you, feeds you and treats you like the influential consumer that you are.
(09/15/05 12:00am)
Author: Jason Siegel On Wednesday, June 22, available members of the Middlebury College community gathered in Dana Auditorium to hear President Ronald D. Liebowitz formally announce his recommendation for the Board of Trustees to sign a letter of intent establishing an affiliation between Middlebury and the Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS).The Board signed the next day and the MIIS Board of Trustees approved the letter of intent on June 24. The Institute, which is located in southern California, consists of the Graduate School of International Policy Studies, the Graduate School of Translation and Interpretation, the Fisher Graduate School of International Business and the Graduate School of Language and Educational Linguistics. Informal discussions pertaining to a potential Middlebury acquisition of MIIS began in mid-2003 when a representative from MIIS spoke with a College Trustee, but formal discussions did not begin until December 2004."Knowing Monterey as a former worthy competitor with our Middlebury Language Schools, I was aware of the Institute's year-round graduate programs and saw the programmatic fit between the two institutions, based on the commitment to proficiency in the foreign languages," Liebowitz said in his address.Opposition to acquisition and affiliationLast week's decision came after months of speculation, debate and negotiation. Opposition to the proposed acquisition was strong within the College community throughout the past academic year: the Faculty Council voted 80-21 against Middlebury's acquisition of MIIS on April 1 and on April 16 the Student Government Association passed a resolution opposing any acquisition that would require funds otherwise intended for undergraduate programs. Liebowitz said that faculty reservations based on financial risk, administrative reach and potential tarnishing of the Middlebury name "were issues that I viewed as serious and in need of resolution in order to offer a positive recommendation to the Board for us to pursue a relationship with Monterey."The College tackled these issues via an investigative due diligence process and by consulting several outside professional leaders in higher education.Liebowitz stressed that the final arrangement agreed upon is not an acquisition but an affiliation. Although Middlebury will gain administrative control of the Institute, it will not be responsible for any financial shortcomings that MIIS, which recently emerged from financial probation from its accrediting body, might face.Some members of the College community have expressed concern about whether or not the decision was a wise one. Professor of Mathematics Priscilla Bremser's principal objection was the effect that the pursuit of this relationship has had and will continue to have on the President's ability to concentrate on the issues of the undergraduate programs in Vermont."I honestly can't see any benefits to our undergraduate program [from] this affiliation," Bremser said. Liebowitz said he disagreed with the notion that Monterey is an incompatible addition to Middlebury, citing the fact that Middlebury already awards 250 advanced degrees each year through the Language Schools, the Schools Abroad and the Bread Loaf School of English, the largest graduate English program in the country. Liebowitz also noted that the College's renowned Language Schools started out as graduate programs and have gradually evolved into programs that accept undergraduates. Furthermore, the Monterey decision echoes the recommendations from the Bread Loaf and Language Schools Task Force assembled as part of the Strategic Planning Process.Liebowitz distinguished the faculty's April vote on an acquisition of Monterey from the Board of Trustees' recent agreement on an affiliation. It is impossible to know whether some opponents of the acquisition might have been in favor of an affiliation, though Bremser maintains that faculty opposition to any kind of Monterey connection was "deep as well as broad."The Trustees' decision was the second in a row to run contrary to the resolutions passed by the main governing bodies on campus. On Feb. 14, the Faculty Council voted to eliminate a clause from the College's Handbook that permits discriminating employers to recruit on campus after giving a presentation explaining why the offending policy exists. The Community Council subsequently passed a similar recommendation on March 15, but the Board of Trustees voted to maintain the policy as it stood at its May meeting.Benefits of the affiliationThe College will make an initial investment in the Institute to help the MIIS meet Middlebury operating standards, but Liebowitz says the investment will have "no impact on the College's operating budget or endowment." The College will not be liable for the institution's debts as it would have been if Middlebury had acquired the Institute.Middlebury will have other responsibilities to the MIIS, however. The College's Board of Trustees will appoint the president of the Monterey Institute as well as direct its programs. President Liebowitz has already recommended Professor of Chinese Clara Yu, former vice president for Languages and head of the Language Schools and Schools Abroad, as the next MIIS President.The letter of intent marks the first step in a negotiation process expected to last three to five months. This time frame will allow specific details of the arrangement to be worked out. For example, Monterey currently offers intensive, non-immersion summer language programs in most of the same languages Middlebury teaches. The College will therefore work to prevent curricular redundancies at the two schools. Other fine points include basic environmental inspections of MIIS buildings.MIIS, in turn, receives other benefits. According to Yu, Monterey "retains its 'sovereignty,' keeps its name and its organizational structure. It also gets a shot in the arm in financial resources, human resources, networks and relationships." In other words, alumni and staff networks are opened up to one another, though not combined. Speaking to the Alumni College at Bread Loaf, Liebowitz mentioned that West Coast alumni had strongly expressed a desire to increase Middlebury's name recognition in that part of the country. With opportunities to co-brand, both institutions theoretically stand to increase awareness in parts of the country that are traditionally under-reached. One of the possible benefits Liebowitz named for affiliating with the institute was an increased Middlebury presence in Asia. Thirty-five percent of MIIS's students are international, and the majority of these students are Asian. Though Middlebury recently opened a school abroad in China, it has no such connection to Japan, despite being a very active member in the Kyoto Exchange program.Liebowitz also said that in the future, joint degree programs between Middlebury and Monterey, not unlike the dual degree programs Middlebury already offers with Washington University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, could be possible. "The real exciting thing ... is the possibilities" that this affiliation would engender, according to the President. Liebowitz noted that several students and faculty have already expressed interest to him about working and studying with the faculty in Monterey.Looking toward the FutureThe future of MIIS rests largely in the hands of many people connected with Middlebury. Clara Yu has been and will be working closely with the former president of Monterey, Steven J. Baker, to smooth over the transition process. Her position at the Center for Educational Technology, the last position she held at the College, had reached a logical conclusion and future work in that department will be headed by Jo Ellen Parker. She has no plans to return to Middlebury.There have been, however, some significant hitches. Concerns have been raised by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), the accrediting body of West Coast Schools. WASC has expressed concerns about Monterey's autonomy, noting that it is a stretch to talk about the autonomy of a school whose president and trustees are hand-selected by another institution. To dispel these worries and to conform with California law, Middlebury changed its original plan to have a board of five trustees to one of about 13 and finally up to 17. A large majority have been heavily involved with Middlebury, and about four are longtime members of the MIIS community.Financial issues are also under discussion. According to Yu, Executive Vice President and Treasurer Bob Huth has managed to secure lower interest rates from Monterey's debtor. Enrollment rates in MIIS have exceeded not only this year's projections, but also next year's as well, a huge boon to an enrollment-driven budget. This means that the Institute has over one million extra dollars to include in its budget, since its budget is derived exclusively from enrollment. Liebowitz credited the spike in part to the affiliation announcement.Nearing the one-year anniversary of his tenure as president, Liebowitz asserted that the Monterey affiliation and the on-going Strategic Planning Process were the two major achievements of his first year in office."Though this proposed affiliation would not affect our undergraduate curriculum, at least in the near term," Liebowitz said in his recent address, "adding the graduate programs in international studies as affiliates to our current graduate offerings would strengthen the College's reputation in the area of international education, thereby allowing us to play on a larger and more visible national and international stage."
(07/01/05 12:00am)
Author: Ben Salkowe In a vote at Monday's Faculty Council meeting, the faculty voted overwhelmingly against Middlebury College's possible acquisition of the Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS) in Monterey, Calif. The vote was for a resolution expressing the sense of the faculty. According to Allison Byerly, vice president for academic affairs, the faculty voted 80 - 21 to oppose the acquisition with 15 abstentions.A final decision on the acquisition will be made by President Ronald D. Liebowitz."Faculty Council was asked, by a number of faculty, to hold a vote that would give a sense of the faculty resolution on the possibility of acquiring the Monterey Institute, and we formulated a resolution to gauge faculty opinion on this issue," said Jeff Cason, chair of the Faculty Council and associate professor of Political Science. Both Cason and Byerly are part of the Monterey Program Steering Committee that has investigated acquisition.A report released to the College Community in February explained the possible acquisition. "The Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS), a graduate institution well respected for its international programs and focus on foreign language fluency, is located in Monterey, California," said the report composed by the faculty serving as the Coordination Group. "MIIS is currently on financial probation from its accrediting body, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and is looking to be acquired by a stronger educational partner in order to enhance the quality of its programs and ensure long term survival."If the College were to acquire MIIS, the institute would remain a separate entity and, according to the report, have a relationship with the College similar to those of the Language Schools and Breadloaf School of English. Liebowitz made opening remarks at the meeting, where Ana Martinez-Lage and Peter Matthews, associate professors of Spanish and Economics, respectively, spoke out against plans being considered by the College to acquire the Monterey Institute. Michael Kraus, Frederick C. Dirks professor of Political Science, spoke in favor of acquisition. Kraus is also a member of the Steering Committee."I thought that the discussion at the faculty meeting was thoughtful and wide-ranging, in the end," said Cason.In addition to Byerly, Cason and Kraus, the Coordination Group consists of Christian A. Johnson istinguished Professor of Economics David Colander, Dean of Language Schools and Schools Abroad and Professor of German Michael Geisler and Director of the Rohatyn Center for International Affairs Allison Stanger.
(07/01/05 12:00am)
Author: Jason Siegel, News editor On Wednesday, June 22, available members of the Middlebury College community gathered in Dana Auditorium to hear President Ronald D. Liebowitz formally announce his recommendation for the Board of Trustees to sign a letter of intent establishing an affiliation between Middlebury and the Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS).The Board signed the letter the next day and the MIIS Board of Trustees approved the letter of intent on June 24. The Institute, which is located in southern California, consists of the Graduate School of International Policy Studies, the Graduate School of Translation and Interpretation, the Fisher Graduate School of International Business and the Graduate School of Language and Educational Linguistics. Informal discussions pertaining to a potential Middlebury acquisition of MIIS began in mid-2003 when a representative from MIIS spoke with a College Trustee, but formal discussions did not begin until December 2004."Knowing Monterey as a former worthy competitor with our Middlebury Language Schools, I was aware of the Institute's year-round graduate programs and saw the programmatic fit between the two institutions, based on the commitment to proficiency in the foreign languages," Liebowitz said in his address.Last week's decision came after months of speculation, debate and negotiation. Opposition to the proposed acquisition was strong within the College community throughout the past academic year: the Faculty Council voted 80-21 against Middlebury's acquisition of MIIS on April 1 and on April 16 the Student Government Association passed a resolution opposing any acquisition that would require funds otherwise intended for undergraduate programs. Liebowitz said that faculty reservations based on financial risk, administrative reach and potential tarnishing of the Middlebury name "were issues that I viewed as serious and in need of resolution in order to offer a positive recommendation to the Board for us to pursue a relationship with Monterey." The College tackled these issues via an investigative due diligence process and by consulting several outside professional leaders in higher education.Liebowitz pointed out that the final arrangement agreed upon is not an acquisition but an affiliation. The principal distinction is that although Middlebury will gain administrative control of the Institute, it will not be responsible for any financial shortcomings that MIIS, which recently emerged from financial probation from its accrediting body, might face.The College will make an initial investment in the Institute to help the MIIS meet Middlebury operating standards, but Liebowitz says the investment will have "no impact on the College's operating budget or endowment." The College will not be liable for the institution's debts as it would have been if Middlebury had acquired the Institute.Middlebury will have other responsibilities to the MIIS, however. The College's Board of Trustees will appoint the president of the Monterey Institute as well as direct its programs. President Liebowitz has already recommended Professor of Chinese Clara Yu, former vice president for Languages and head of the Language Schools and Schools Abroad, as the next MIIS President.The letter of intent marks the first step in a negotiation process expected to last three to five months. This time frame will allow specific details of the arrangement to be worked out. For example, Monterey currently offers intensive, non-immersion summer language programs in most of the same languages as Middlebury. The College will therefore work to prevent curricular redundancies at the two schools. Other fine points include basic environmental inspections of MIIS buildings.Division still exists within the College community about whether or not the decision was a wise one. Professor of Mathematics Priscilla Bremser's principal objection was the effect that the pursuit of this relationship has had and will continue to have on the President's ability to concentrate on the issues of the undergraduate programs in Vermont."I honestly can't see any benefits to our undergraduate program [from] this affiliation," Bremser said. "The [potential benefits] offered by the President seem vague or questionable: how would our reputation be strengthened by affiliating with an institution on the verge of collapse, and what happens to our reputation if it does collapse?"Liebowitz said he disagreed with the notion that Monterey is an incompatible addition to Middlebury, citing the fact that Middlebury already awards 250 advanced degrees each year through the Language Schools, the Schools Abroad and the Bread Loaf School of English. Liebowitz also noted that the College's renowned Language Schools started out as graduate programs and eventually evolved into programs that involve undergraduates as well. Furthermore, the Monterey decision echoes the recommendations from the Bread Loaf and Language Schools Task Force assembled as part of the Strategic Planning Process, another major Liebowitz initiative.Liebowitz distinguished the faculty's April vote on an acquisition of Monterey from the Board of Trustees recent agreement on an affiliation. It is impossible to know whether some opponents of the acquisition might have been in favor of an affiliation, though Bremser maintains that faculty opposition to any kind of Monterey connection was "deep as well as broad."One of the possible benefits Liebowitz named for affiliating with the institute was an increased Middlebury presence in Asia. Thirty-five percent of MIIS's students are international, and the majority of these students are Asian. Though Middlebury recently opened a school abroad in China, it has no such connection to Japan.Liebowitz also said that in the future, joint degree programs between Middlebury and Monterey, not unlike the dual degree programs Middlebury already offers with Washington University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, could be possible. Such arrangements would only materialize if the initiatives passed through the proper channels, including the Faculty Council and the Board of Trustees.The Trustees' decision is the second in a row to run contrary to the resolutions passed by the main governing bodies on campus. On Feb. 14, the Faculty Council voted to eliminate a clause that permits discriminating employers to recruit on campus after giving a presentation explaining why the offending policy exists from the College's Handbook. The Community Council subsequently passed a similar recommendation on March 15, but the Board of Trustees voted to maintain the policy as it stood at its May meeting.Noting the upcoming one-year anniversary of his tenure as President, Liebowitz asserted that the Monterey affiliation and the on-going Strategic Planning Process were the two major achievements of his first year in office."Though this proposed affiliation would not affect our undergraduate curriculum, at least in the near term," Liebowitz said in his recent address, "adding the graduate programs in international studies as affiliates to our current graduate offerings would strengthen the College's reputation in the area of international education, thereby allowing us to play on a larger and more visible national and international stage."
(07/01/05 12:00am)
Author: Dina Magrill President Ronald D. Liebowitz has not ruled out Middlebury College's acquisition of the graduate programs of the Monterey Institute for International Studies (MIIS), though the faculty voted not to support a resolution recommending such an acquisition in a paper ballot vote at the Faculty Council meeting on April 1. The final count was 80 to 21. Of the 207 faculty members eligible to vote, 116 actually cast a ballot. The vote was an advisory procedure, and the final decision will be made by the Board of Trustees before the end of the year.As expressed by the recent vote, many faculty members have doubts about the acquisition. Those who voted against it were concerned that another graduate program would take away from the undergraduate liberal arts experience at Middlebury."[Frederick C. Dirks Professor of Political Science] Michael Kraus, in suggesting potential benefits of this acquisition, mentioned that his department recently had an applicant for a teaching position who asked if there were opportunities to teach graduate students," recalled Professor of Mathematics Priscilla Bremser. "If an applicant for a position in my department expressed a desire to teach graduate students, we would say, 'You're applying for the wrong job.'"Kraus responded to some of the faculty's reservations. "I believe the main explanation for the negative vote is that an acquisition of another institution is a difficult proposition to contemplate under the best of circumstances," he said. "It is far easier to point to the potential and opportunity costs involved than it is to identify the long-term benefits that might accrue to us in terms of recruiting, networks or academic reputation," Kraus said. In response to some faculty members' uneasiness about the acquisition of another graduate program by a strictly undergraduate college like Middlebury, Kraus noted, "If we as faculty were asked today to vote on whether to launch the Bread Loaf programs or our Summer Language Schools, we would vote them down too. Yet these programs are now highly successful, enhance our academic reputation and generate funding, all of which benefit our undergraduate college as well, without involving our undergraduate faculty in any significant way."Bremser saw a contradiction in the proposed acquisition. "We are told that acquiring MIIS would have no effect on our undergraduate program, that 'firewalls' would be in place and that because the two institutions are thousands of miles apart, there would be little day-to-day contact," she noted. "On the other hand, we hear that if we acquire MIIS, we will have to fix its recruiting practices, fix its development office, fix its Web site, fix its management and improve language instruction to meet our standards."There are financial concerns associated with acquiring the Monterey program as well. MIIS is currently on financial probation from its accrediting body, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Although Middlebury would not make a cash purchase or payment for the institute, the College would be responsible for assuming responsibility for Monterey's programs as well as its debts. "James Jermain Professor of Political Economy and International Law Russ Leng pointed out that stabilizing and improving MIIS would require a large infusion of funds," Bremser recalled from the meeting. "I suggest that it would also require large infusion of time and energy and expertise, presumably from here."Liebowitz commented that the operational budget of the school is enrollment driven, meaning the cost of running the school, as well as paying faculty, is covered by tuition, as well as gifts and grants to the school. "As we consider an acquisition, one must consider the costs to sustain a program as well as to raise the program to an expected level of excellence," Liebowitz said. One way of doing this requires the school to have the most up-to-date technology, like new computer labs. In such cases, Liebowitz said, the school needs to see if these costs can be covered by surplus such as fundraising. The University of California Los Angeles system was looking to acquire the institute, but was forced to withdraw because of a cut in its budget. Another financial factor to be considered is the high cost of real estate in the Monterey area. Many of Middlebury's now-renowned scholastic programs actually started as graduate programs. The Language Schools, established in 1915 and Middlebury's Schools Abroad were initially limited to graduate enrollment. Between 175 and 200 students currently receive their master degrees from the Middlebury Language Schools, and if MIIS were acquired, it could offer an alternative to these masters programs. Though Liebowitz is looking to acquire the institute on a strictly graduate level, he believes that it could have many benefits for Middlebury undergraduate students. "If we do acquire the Monterey institute, it can provide for much bigger networks for Middlebury students," Liebowitz said. Although Middlebury is widely recognized on the east coast, Liebowitz has pointed out that Middlebury has much less recognition on the west coast. By considering the acquisition of a graduate program in California, Middlebury seeks to expand its reputation westward. The possibility of Winter Term courses offered to Middlebury students at Monterey could also exist. Currently, 700 students are enrolled at MIIS, an institute known for its international graduate programs and focus in foreign languages. About 40 percent of the enrolled students come from outside the United States. MIIS consists of several distinctive programs. The Graduate School of International Policy Studies requires fluency in a foreign language and has the largest enrollment of all the schools. The School of Translation and Interpretation is currently recognized as the best of its kind in the country and also has a prestigious reputation abroad. Many graduates of this school have gone on to work for the United Nations as translators. Despite the entire faculty's overwhelming vote against the MIIS acquisition, many individual faculty members remain outspoken advocates of the proposition. According to Michael Geisler, dean of Language Schools and Schools Abroad, there are two programs offered at Monterey that Middlebury will never be able to offer its Language School students a school of translation and teaching English as a second language. "As long as our mantra, during the summer, is 'No English Spoken Here!' it will be very difficult to add either one of those components to our Language Schools curriculum. Yet both translation and interpretation and English as a Second Language are a logical corollary of a fully developed curriculum in foreign language education," Geisler said.MIIS also boasts a program in applied linguistics that could possibly offer an opportunity to expand the College's Doctor of Modern Languages degree that is currently granted in conjunction with the summer Language Programs. In addition to the Fisher School of International Business, MIIS offers one of the largest non-governmental organizations devoted to non-proliferation research and training. It is the Institute's Center for East Asian Studies, however, that Liebowitz believes could be most beneficial to the College. "As we move into the 21st century," Liebowitz said, "we cannot underestimate the importance of our ties with Asia." Many of the graduate students at Monterey are themselves from Korea, Japan and China. Liebowitz sees this program as having tremendous potential for its students.Allison Stanger, director of the Rohatyn Center for International Affairs, was on the Monterey Program Steering Committee that was able to visit the institute along with Kraus, Vice President for Academic Affairs Alyson Byerly, Associate Professor of Political Science Jeff Caso
n, Christian A. Johnson Distinguished Professor of Economics Dave Colander and Geisler. Stanger is optimistic about the opportunity, and commented that if Middlebury "were to build a graduate school from scratch, [it] would build something very similar, at least in terms of core values, to what Monterey already has in place.""That's what makes this a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity demanding serious consideration," she said.David Macey, director of Off-Campus Study, believes the acquisition has potential to enhance Middlebury's reputation. With "our unique commitment to language study, international studies, study abroad and the summer Language Schools, the possibility of associating ourselves with a series of professional schools with similar commitments to language and internationalization, will only further distinguish Middlebury from other four-year residential liberal arts institutions," Macey said.Although Liebowitz respects the faculty's decision, he remains enthusiastic about the possible benefits of acquiring Monterey. Liebowitz believes the institute would help forward Middlebury's mission. He emphasized the importance of collaboration in future Middlebury programs. Liebowitz also briefly mentioned another possible College collaboration, this time with a focus towards the Geology and Environmental Studies departments. He mentioned a new proposal from the Maritime Museum in Lake Champlain which has an interest in collaborating with Middlebury College programs. Although the faculty has already voiced its opinion, the final decision on MIIS will be made by the administration and the Board of Trustees sometime in May.
(05/05/05 12:00am)
Author: Ben Salkowe While Middlebury's Theatre department has made a name for itself putting on first-rate dramas and even the occasional comedy, musical theatre has long been largely absent from the College's performing arts scene. Director Doug Anderson, visiting assistant professor of Music, and an outstanding cast changed all that last weekend with a production of William Finn and James Lapine's "Falsettos" that blew away the musical's struggle to find a place at Middlebury. Competing with a cozy Christmas drama in Wright, the Falsettos played to full houses and showed that the musical can - and now does - have a place in the Center for the Arts (CFA).The story is, as it bills itself, an emotional examination of life, love, sex and other "unscheduled events." "Falsettos" - by definition male voices singing in the female range - follows the changing nature of families in the 80s through the character of Marvin (Nicholas Cloutier '06), who leaves his wife Trista (Allison Corke '08) and son Jason (Angus Barstow) for his male lover Whizzer (Jake Nicholson '05). The show also includes Marvin's lesbian neighbors, Charlotte and Cordelia (Hillary Waite '05 and Shannon Gmyrek '06.5). When Nicholson's character becomes fatally ill with AIDS, the play reveals that even non-traditional families are bound by love. In stark contrast to past student attempts to bring musicals to Campus, Anderson's production was polished and audibly beautiful - for anyone who looks down on musicals as high school art, the show was a shocking revelation. Each member of the seven-person cast contributed an amazing but distinct voice to the show, from Mendel, the family shrink played by Adam Beard '06, to the adolescent voice of young Jason, played by Barstow who is an eighth-grader from the Gailer School. The vocal climax of the piece, however, was a duet of Cloutier and Nicholson singing the show's tearjerking penultimate number, "What Would I Do?" The dynamic of Cloutier's rich bass under Nicholson's sweet tenor gave Finn's music a stirring energy and illustrated the powerful voice of music on subjects as weighty and complex as the themes of changing families and love in "Falsettos." The three-person orchestra, directed by Assistant in Music Carol Christensen and starring Mark Barber '06 visibly on stage with his keyboard, supported the performers with a clean and subtle accompaniment that was simple and elegant, but never overpowering.While the show was musically exceptional, the production's most musically successful numbers were also sometimes its weakest moments as theatre. Particularly in the first act of the production, Cloutier, Nicholson and Corke all seemed to have difficulty balancing the large-ness and cartoon-ish nature of their musical theatre characters with the genuinely real and sincere concerns and people in "Falsettos." Finn's show asks actors to walk a difficult balance of playing big and caricature-like musical characters, while remaining emotional and vulnerable people in a story - a balance few of the show's leads attained for very long. Cloutier as Marvin never seemed to be the big and overdone character we would have expected in a musical, but was also not quite a real person, as he seemed detached in the play's most emotional moments. In her own nervous breakdown ala show-stopping solo, Corke had similar troubles - never quite becoming the big and rash drama queen her part demanded, but on the other hand not coming across as a real person either. By contrast, Beard and Barstow - both of whom arguably had more clearly defined characters to play - more successfully reconciled their sometimes silly and always funny characters with genuinely human motives and worries. In a childish but surprisingly moving song, "My Father's a Homo" Barstow captured both the exaggerated cartoon-ish adolescent he played and the honest worries of a teenager with a homosexual parent. Beard also balanced his character well, offering audiences both an off-the-wall psychiatrist treating a family and simultaneously courting one of its members, and an adult looking for happiness in life. Short of picky acting criticism, the production left me floored with its creativity and talent. The designers demonstrated that good theatre does not need gaudy, overdone lights, sets or costumes. In a creative use of the CFA they constructed a simple panel of four revolving doors managed by the eerily Vanna White-esque stage manager Jessica Nichols '07 - if all else fails with her Middlebury education, there's a wheel of fortune with her name on it."Falsettos" gave the campus' performing arts scene a much-needed fresh performance. As a show, it offered audiences a beautiful look at a heavy issue. As an artistic creation it showed that theatre is at its best when it creatively tackles challenges. In his "director's notes" Anderson noted that "Today 42nd Street has been thoroughly sanitized, as has the current crop of Broadway musicals [...] so it's a good time to revisit the edgy and powerful "Falsettos." For me it's a keen reminder of the vast potential of the American musical."For Middlebury, Anderson's production was a "keen reminder" of the vast potential of the College's performing artists.
(05/05/05 12:00am)
Author: Jason Lockhart Just like they did in the fall, the women's golf team traveled to Williams and finished first in their last tournament of the season. This top finish, however, was more notable than the fall's because Middlebury outpaced five other teams, compared to three in October. The Panthers combined for a team score of 337, 12 strokes ahead of second place Amherst and well ahead of third place finisher Holy Cross, which finished the tournament with a score of 378.Captain Heather Gallagher '07 led the Panthers to the victory by shooting an impressive 80 on the Par 71 course, to finish in a tie for first overall with Meg Sullivan of Amherst."We are all very happy about our scores this weekend and very optimistic about next year," said Gallagher.The team continued to improve all season but it "Started off rough both personally and for the team at the Wellesly tournament," admitted Tory MacNeil '08, who place fifth overall with a score of 84. "However, we fought back in the Amherst tournament and managed to place second. Finally, everyone played better in this last tournament at Williams and we managed to capture the win both as a team and individually by Heather." All of the Panthers placed in the top 10 at this week's event. Following Gallagher's and MacNeil's scores were Allison Ortega's '07 score of 87th (seventh) and Karen Levin's score of 90, good for 10th overall. Despite the loss of Gallagher next fall to study abroad, the team has confidence that with the addition of at least one new recruit they will continue to improve. "Now we know what it takes to win and we are definitely capable making NCAAs next year as a team," remarked Levin. "We will set our goals high and try and reach them through solid play next year." She added, "Overall though, I am proud of our team for all of our success this season."
(05/05/05 12:00am)
Author: CAROLINE S. STAUFFER Monterey decision deadline extended On the evening of Wednesday, April 27, President Ronald D. Liebowitz announced his plan to slightly defer a final decision on the potential acquisition of the Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS) in an all-campus e-mail.After the February meeting of the Board of Trustees, Liebowitz said he would make a recommendation on MIIS in time for the Trustees to vote at the May Board meeting.In his e-mail, Liebowitz explained, "In the period since the February Board meeting and our on-campus meetings, the College's comprehensive due diligence process has generated an enormous amount of valuable information about the benefits and risks of acquiring MIIS." Furthermore, according to Liebowitz, much of that information has arrived in the past two weeks, with more critical information yet to come.Therefore, should Liebowitz forward a positive recommendation, the Board of Trustees will hold a special meeting no later than June 30 to make the final decision. "The additional time will allow us to integrate all the new information we have received, to consider the yet-to-be-received information we expect in the next few weeks, and to enable the Board to engage the issue fully," Liebowitz said in the e-mail.Conversations about the acquisition of the Monterey Institute began last fall and shortly thereafter the Monterey Steering Committee was formed to visit the site and further investigate the Institute.On March 15, the Program Coordination Group investigating MIIS gave a presentation and answered the questions of students, faculty and staff in Warner Hemicycle.At the April 1 faculty meeting, the faculty council voted 80-21 in opposition of the potential acquisition.On April 16, the Student Government Association passed a recommendation expressing concern over the potential acquisition. "The SGA recommends to President Liebowitz and the Trustees that they reject any proposal that requires Middlebury to spend money that otherwise would be spent on College resources," the bill read. Mead Chapel hosts Yom HaShoah service On Wednesday evening, "Remembering the Holocaust: A Yom HaShoah Commemoration" was held in Mead Chapel. The program included a talk by Thomas Weisshaus entitled, "Surviving the Holocaust in Budapest: The Importance of Family, Wallenberg and the Lone Ranger." Associate Chaplain Rabbi Ira Schiffer, Rachel Schiffer '06 and Nina Robinson '05 were involved in the event's organization. Yam HaShoah was established to remember the Holocaust and the six million Jews who perished. It marks the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising in 1941. The Charles P. Scott Center for Spiritual and Religious Life, Middlebury College Hillel, The Addison County Jewish Congregation: Havurah and Middlebury Area Clergy co-sponsored the event. Faculty recognized for academic excellence Frederick C. Dirks Professor of Political Science Michael Kraus and Director of the Rohatyn Center for International Affairs and Professor of Political Science Allison Stanger have accepted an invitation to offer a course entitled "A Central European Odyssey: History, Culture and Politics in Prague," in the Prague Summer Program, July 2-29, 2005.The Prague Summer Program is co-sponsored by Western Michigan University and the Charles University of Prague. It offers a wide variety of courses and programs, but specializes in courses for aspiring writers.Associate Professor of Biology Andi Lloyd has received a grant from the National Science Foundation that will enable herself and one undergraduate student to research how climate change may affect the distribution of tree species in the boreal forest in the Brooks Range, Alaska each summer. She will continue collaborating with colleagues at the Bonanza Creek Long Term Ecological Research site on a project titled Alaska's Changing Boreal Forest: Resilience and Vulnerability. The Marion and Jasper Whiting Foundation has awarded Professor of French Bethany Ladimer a fellowship to support her 2005-2006 leave. Ladimer will spend a semester at the University of Poitiers in France working on a textbook and course development project that is titled, Teaching American Students How to Reason and Write in French.
